Machine for sawing blocks from logs



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P.' L.A DAY. MACHINE POR SAWING BLOCKS FROM LOGS.

810.518,589. O yB88811888 Apr. 24, 1894.

(NQ, Model.) 4 neets-sheen 2.

` F. L. DAY.

.MACHINE PoR SAWING BLGGKSPROM LOGS. No. 518,589. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

(No Model.; 4 sheetssneen s.

P. L; DAY. MAUHINRPOR SAWING BLOCKS PROM LOGS.

f No. 518,589. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

E NATIDNAL LTYNOERAPHING INBMPAN?4 wAsumeroN. u. e4

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

F. L., DAY. MACHINE PoR sAWING BLOCKS FROM LOGS.

Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

Zvveyvar UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

FRANKL. DAY, OFGLENS FALLS, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR SAWING BLOCKS FROM LOGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,589, dated April 24, 1894. i Application filed September 15, 18973. Serial No, 485.584. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DAY, of Glens Falls, in the county of Warren and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sawing Blocks from Logs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in machines, more especially designed for saw ing, butting or subdividing logs into blocks of proper size for pulp grinders, although ca` pable of use in subdividing logs transversely for many of the well known industries, such as for making shingles, dre. Great diliculty has been experienced in providing a machine with large capacity for accomplishing this desired end, for While it is not difficult to subdivide a single log by successive transverse cuts into blocks, the difficulties are vastly increased when it is attempted to butt or convert the entire log into blocks by a single operation, and still further increased when it is attempted to successively and by a continuous operation butt or cut a great number of logs. These difficulties are due largely to the fact that mechanism has not been heretofore provided for handling the logs before presenting them to the cutters or saws, and for controlling them while being presented to the saws and cut, as well as after being out, and further, to the want of proper means for securingauniformity of action throughout the cutv ting operation and of means for instantly arresting or varying the feed, should the condi-` tion of the stock being operated on at any moment demand it. In my present machine, my aim has been to overcome these diiiiculties and to provide a comparatively simple machine'of very large capacity easily controlled and handled by a few operators.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of the machine showing the relative position and arrangement of the various parts.` Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine set up for operation, portions of the interior mechanism being omitted to prevent confusion. Fig.' 3 is a detail rear elevation of the feed controlling mechanism. Fig. 4t is a detail end elevation of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, with portions broken away to show underlying parts. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of part of the feed mechanism shown in Fig. 2, with the frame broken away. Fig. 6 is a detail section showing the lower carriage for one saw and drive cam therefor. Fig. 7 is a section showing the elevating mechanism for the presser rollers. Figs. 8 and 9 are details of one of the chain wheels and chain guide respeotively. Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation showing the relative arrangement of the saws, feed chains, and driving mechanism.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

rlhe frame of the machine may be of any preferred or ordinary construction, but that illustrated has some special advantages, and consists essentially of a series, (the number depending on the width of the machine) of vertical skeleton frames A usually cast, and united by girders or Uirons, and suitable straps, into a solid structure. These frames A have removable sections A in their rear sides, bolted rigidly in place but capable of being readily removed to permit of the removal of the main drive shaft B and eccentrics, as will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawings.

Upon the top of the main frame at each end, is mounted a superstructure formed by end frames O united by beams or girders c corresponding to the girders a, but located in a vertical plane in rear of the same. These girders a. and c form the bases for a series of guide brackets d and c provided with vertical guide ways, usually of T-recess pattern, for the accommodation of the saw carriages D D which latter, one above and the other below, are clamped to the ends of vertically' reciprocating saws D2. Saws D2 are located approximately over the drive shaft before referred to, and the lower carriage D of each saw is jointed to a connecting rod d, extending down and provided at the lower end with a large bearing or strap d working on an eccentric D rigidly mounted on the drive shaft.

In order to neutralize as much as possible, the tendency to lift and roll the log being operated upon, the saws are arranged in two IOO separate gangs working simultaneously in op posite directions, each gang being therefore driven by eccentrics set on the drive shaftdiametrically opposite the set for driving the other gang. This feature is of great importance, inasmuch as it is found impracticable to provide a mechanism for preventing the rotation and lifting of the logs when all the saws move simultaneously in the same directo 'the stopping and reversal of so .great a` number of saws and parts connected, is neutralized, the result being that the machine may be operated without making specialprovision for its support. As will be readily understood, 'the logs are ypresented to the saws transversely so as to be severed into blocks by transverse cuts, and in order to hold the logs, feed them 'to 'the saws regularly and hold and convey the blocks away as they are cut, a table or platform E supported bythe frame is arranged at the proper height with relation to vthe saws, and a series of pairs of feed chains F are caused to travel in guide-ways over this tablebetween the saws and out on the rear side. Two chains are arranged to pass between each two saws,preferably one in proximity tol each saw, and the upper sides of the links are :properly shaped to receive andform a solid base or cradle for the logs clear across the machine, thus the logs have a solidsupport up to the saws and as the saws cut their way through, the blocks rest and are supported on solid supports at each end preventing all tendency to work out of place. The links of the chain preferably have points on theupper side,every other link being for this purpose formed-solid in cross section and with asemi-circular concavity in the Upper side as shown.

In moving across the table, the links are preferably arranged to vmove in unison and in'ranks, t. e., with similar links in rows extending'from end to end of the machine, this gear.

of a large log or otherwise, thereby allowing the log to feed under' the wheels. These presser wheels are provided with points or alternate elevations and depressions on their peripheries to cause them to take hold of the logs securely, and with a view to holding the partially severed log and block as they are cut, the wheels are preferably arranged approximately above the chains or between the chains as shown clearly in Fig. 10. Should it be desired to hold the logs and, blocks some distance in front and rear of the line of cut,

the number of presser wheels may be increasedorone ofthe wheels of each pair may be located in advance of the other.

The feeding chains are as before stated, preferably arranged in @pairs and theyall run over sprocket wheels h-on a chain drive shaftV H located just below the level of the table or platform and driventhrongh mechanism to be presently described. A ,shaft I corresponding to theshaft ,H is arranged attheffront of the .machine for carrying the sprocket wheels i toguide the chains at the front of themachine. Should means lbe provided for depositing the logs regularly and squarely on the chains at the front of the tableshownin Fig. l all the chains might run over sprocket Awheels on the shaft I but difficulty is experienced in positioning the logs l.properly and hence use islmade of'an inclined'supplementalplatform K (Fig.- 2) and chains-at or near each end of the machine are lextended forward and run overvpulleys or wheels lc in saws they are supported onboth sides of each saw and the parts do not change their relative positions when severed into-blocks.

vFor moving the chains, the shaft-H at the rear of the rplatform,.is provided at oneend with a large gear wheel M .meshing with a lpinion m on a counter shaft M jonrnaled in bearings on the Vmain `'frame,and in turn ydriven through a large bevel gear wheel M2 meshing with .apinion M3 on a shaft M4 passing to the front of the machine and carrying a wheel N forming one .of the members of a friction gear interposed in the feed dri-ve This friction wheelN is vprovided on its V.periphery with afriction material O such vas leather,pre`ferably held in place by airing N Awhich clamps an inwardly extending flange of the friction material against theside 4of the wheel.V The periphery .of the friction wheel is adapted to bear against the inner face of a friction disk P rigidly mounted `on pulleys Q Q and belt Q2.

Referring. now particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, showing the friction gear in detail,-it will be seen that the rear end of the shaft M4 is journaled in a bearing lm4 which is movable transversely on a supporting bracket m5 and held in place by a lever m6 connected by a rod m7 with an operating hand lever m8 eX- tending up above the platform. This construction enables the friction wheel to be moved into or out of contact with the friction disk, and the attendant with his hand on the operating lever may thus control perfectly the feed of the logs to the saws and if necessary instantly stop or start the same. In addition to this mechanism for starting and stopping the feed, I provide a means whereby the rate of feed may be varied according to the work being done, and the speed at which the saws are driven. To accomplish this, the friction wheel is connected with the shaft M4 by a spline and groove connection or equivalent so as to rotate with, but have amovement longitudinally of the shaft, thus by shifting the friction wheel, it may be made to con tact with the disk at a greater or less distance from its center, as will be readily understood from an inspection of Fig. 4, wherein the wheel is shown provided with a grooved hub in which a collar R fits, and a bifurcated lever R fulcrumed on the main frame at the upper end, engages the collar to shift the wheel in one direction or the other. The lowerend of the `lever is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever R2, the other arm being connected by rod R3 with the operating handle R4, located in proximity to the operating lever for the feed stopping and starting mechanism.

In operating the machine, an attendant or attendants stand at the forward edge of the platform and move the` logs, which should come in down a lateral incline, onto the feed chains, taking care to see that they are at right angles to the chains, and another attendant standing at the operating levers watches the sawing operation and controls and regulates the feed to suit the condition of the logs presented to the saws.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. In a machine for butting logs, the combination with the frame having the table and series of vertical guides above said table, of the gangs of vertical alternately arranged oppositely reciprocating saws having the upper ends independently guided in said guides, a drive shaft, eccentrics thereon and connections between the eccentrics and saws for reciprocating the same; substantially as described.

2. In a machine for butting logs, the combination with the frame having the table, the series of vertical guides above said table and a corresponding series of vertical guides below the table, of the gangs of alternately arranged oppositely reciprocating" saws having their upper and lower ends independently guided in said guides, a drive shaft, eccentrics thereon and connectionsbetween the eccentrics and saws for reciprocating the latter; substantially as described.

3. In a machine for butting logs, the Vcombination with the frame having the table, the series of vertical guides above said table and a corresponding series of vertical guides below the table, of the gangs of independent alternately arranged oppositely reciprocating saws having theirupper and lower ends guided in said guides, a drive shaft below the saws, an eccentric for each saw located on said shaft and a connecting rod-between each eccentric and its saw; substantially as described.

4. In a machine for butting logs, the combination with the table, gang of saws and feeding mechanism passing between the saws, of the series of independent movable pressers located between the saws and arranged one adjacent to and on each side of each saw whereby the block between each two adjacent saws is held independently of every other block; substantially as described.

5. In a machine for butting logs, the combination with the table, gangs of vertically re ciprocating saws and feeding chains arranged to pass two between each two adjacent saws, of the series of independent movable pressers located in pairs between each two adjacent saws whereby each section of the log between the saws is held independently of every other section; substantially as described.

6. In a machine for butting logs, the combination with the table, gang of saws and the pairs of feeding chains passing between each two adjacent saws, of theindependent presser Vrollers arranged between the saws and in vertical planes intermediate the feeding chains; substantially as described.

FRANK L. DAY. Witnesses:

HENRY A. HOWARD, WM. T. CoWLEs.

IOO 

